Manitoba’s Innovation Advantage
Positioning Manitoba at the Leading Edge of Health Innovation
Why This Matters Now
Manitoba has a rare and strategic advantage in orthopaedic innovation—one that directly supports provincial priorities in innovation, technology, education, health care, and economic growth.
In today’s global economy, jurisdictions that invest early in research and innovation infrastructure become the leaders that others follow. Strategic public investment will ensure Manitoba remains a creator of solutions rather than a consumer of them.
Our non-profit organization operates a fully functioning research and testing lab at the Concordia Hip and Knee Institute in Winnipeg. With more than 20 full-time and part-time staff, along with students and research collaborators, we support some of the most advanced orthopaedic research and medical device projects in Canada.
The Orthopaedic Innovation Centre (OIC) is Canada’s only comprehensive orthopaedic research centre that combines applied bioengineering, medical device testing, clinical collaboration, and hands-on training within an active clinical environment. Investment in modern equipment and infrastructure is essential to maintain credibility with global innovators, attract top talent, and translate research into real-world patient outcomes.
Manitoba’s Innovation Advantage
Manitoba’s leadership in joint replacement innovation spans more than 50 years, beginning with Dr. Frank Gunston of Flin Flon, inventor of the modern knee replacement. That legacy continues today through OIC, where research excellence is translated into safer surgeries, faster recoveries, and better patient experiences.
Our work advances multiple provincial priorities simultaneously:
• Innovation & Technology: Independent testing, validation, and research support for Canadian and international medical device companies
• Education & Workforce Development: Hands-on training for engineers, surgeons, researchers, and students, including student science fairs and outreach programs that inspire young people to pursue careers in bioengineering and health sciences
• Economic Development: More than $1 million annually brought into Manitoba through international research and testing contracts
• Health System Impact: Improved patient outcomes, fewer complications, faster recovery times, and enhanced patient satisfaction
• Canadian Health-Care Resilience: Fifteen years of home-grown innovation that strengthens Canada’s ability to develop, test, and improve health-care technologies domestically
The Opportunity
Global competition for innovation leadership is accelerating. Leading jurisdictions are investing aggressively in advanced research infrastructure to attract talent, secure intellectual property, and accelerate commercialization.
Together with the Arthroplasty Research Chair, led by the Concordia Foundation, we aim to:
• Enable next-generation orthopaedic research and testing
• Support Manitoba and Canadian innovators in scaling technologies and exporting expertise globally
• Expand training opportunities for highly skilled STEM and health-care professionals
• Strengthen Manitoba’s reputation as a national hub for applied health innovation and medical device development
• Build stronger partnerships between researchers, clinicians, industry, and education
What Success Looks Like
With strategic investment, Manitoba will:
• Be recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in applied health innovation and medical device testing
• Train, attract, and retain top-tier engineers, clinicians, researchers, and students in Manitoba
• Anchor additional research funding, intellectual property development, and commercialization activity within the province
• Help Canadian companies innovate faster and compete globally
• Deliver measurable improvements in patient outcomes, health system efficiency, and economic growth